Lock



" 1942- E. G. ANDERSON 2,301,845

LOCK

Filed March 25, 19422 INVENTOR Ellis G. flnazersan ATTORINTEYS Patented Nov. 10, 1942 lJl JlTED fi'lATES PATENT OFFICE LOCK Ellis G. Anderson, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application March 25, 1942, Serial No. 436,128

2 Claims.

This invention relates to steel doors of the rolling type, and more particularly to a method of joining and maintaining the slats, of which these doors are made, in proper position and in separating them for repairs or other purposes.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a simple lock which will maintain the slats in proper relation but which may be manipulated to separate the slats when it is so desired.

In the drawing Fig. l is a plan View of a door made up of slats embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the locking element;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the manner in which the slats may be disengaged;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the locking element;

Fig. 6 is a view showing another method of separating the slats.

In the past is has been customary to make the slats ll] of metal and to bend the lateral edges thereof upon themselves to form along one longitudinal edge agrooved portion H and at the other longitudinal edge a tongue portion l2. A series of slats are then joined together by combining the tongue and groove portions to form the curtain or door. It was then necessary to rivet the ears on the ends of the slats to prevent them irom coming apart. This required riveting on the assembly job and also prevented removal of the slats for repair or other purposes. If the slats were .damaged or required replacement, it was necessary to shear off the rivets holding the locking member in place.

My invention resides in a novel locking means which will maintain the slats together in their normal position but which will allow their separation when desired. Accordingly a plate I5 is provided and is riveted at [6 to the slat It). The plate 15 has a depending member I! adapted to engage the plate on the next slat to prevent it from folding in more than one direction so that when the door is unrolled the slats will be gept approximately in the same plane. At the other end of the ear I5 i a stop lug l8 bent at right angles to the plate and positioned adjacent the groove I I, as is best shown in Fig. 5. The depending member ll forms a wearing surface for the lug l8 and prevents excess drafts around the ends of the slats.

In the normal operation and in the normal positions the lug I8 engages the edge I9 01 the tongue member l2 and thus prevents endwise movement of the slats of the door when unrolled or in the rolled state. However, the slats may be separated by folding them beyond the normal folding position so that the edge IQ of the tongue portion uncovers the lug l8, as shown in Fig. 4. The slats may then be slid endwise to disengage the tongue and groove members.

When the slats are slid endways until the locks are disengaged, the slats themselves are in proper position to disengage and they may be sprung apart by moving one slat a short distance, as shown in Fig. 6. Thus it is possible to assemble the door or curtain where a clearance of only a few inches exists on either end.

It will be appreciated that with this structure all repairing may be .done in the factory and the door or curtain assembled with very little manipulation on the job.

I claim:

1. The combination with a rolling door consisting of slats joined by means permitting pivotal angular movement and endwise movement, of devices secured to the ends respectively of said slats, lugs on said devices to prevent endwise movement of the slats with respect to each other when the door is unrolled, said devices having outwardly bent depending members each of which is engageable with the next adjacent one of said devices to limit pivotal movement of the slats in one direction to a relation in which they are disposed approximately in the same plane while the door is unrolled.

2. An end lock device for use in conjunction with rolling door slats joined by means permitting pivotal angular movement and endwise movement of the slats with respect to each other, said devices comprising a plate having provision for securing the device to one slat, a stop lug integral with said plate and disposed at an angle with respect thereto, said lug serving to confront the adjacent end of an adjoining slat to prevent endwise movement of said slats, said lug being brought to a position clear of said adjacent end when the slats are in a predetermined angularly disposed relation, so that the slats may be moved endwise to separate the same, and a depending member integral with said plate to cooperate with a companion end lock device on an adjoining slat next below to limit the pivotal movement of said slats in one direction to a relation in which they are disposed approximately in the same plane.

ELLIS G. ANDERSON. 

